LGBT youthhttp://www.pfaw.org/
Fri, 11 Apr 2014 10:07:11 -0400Fri, 11 Apr 2014 10:07:11 -0400The Five Worst Religious Right Claims About Safe Schools Initiativeshttp://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/five-worst-religious-right-claims-about-safe-schools-initiatives
<img class="imagefield imagefield-field_teaser_astory" width="390" height="250" alt="" src="http://www.pfaw.org/sites/default/files/images/a_story_images/education_3.jpg?1350073276" />
<p>In honor of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network&rsquo;s <a href="http://glsen.org/article/friday-glsen%E2%80%99s-day-silence">Day of Silence</a> today &ndash; an annual event meant to draw attention to the &ldquo;silencing effects&rdquo; of anti-gay harassment and name-calling in schools &ndash; Right Wing Watch is <a href="http://www.pfaw.org/media-center/publications/education-without-discrimination-creating-safe-schools-all-students">re-releasing</a> a collection of some of the most troubling recent claims from the Religious Right about safe schools initiatives.</p>
<p>Relying on harmful myths depicting LGBT people as abusive and &ldquo;perverse,&rdquo; it is clear from these examples that the Religious Right is far more interested in pushing homophobic lies than in protecting and supporting all students through commonsense legislation. Our elected leaders face a stark choice between protecting students and siding with the dangerous and hateful lies of the far right.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/klingenschmitt-al-franken-causing-more-suicides-backing-anti-bullying-bill"><strong>5. Gordon Klingenschmitt: Al Franken is 'Causing More Suicides' by Backing Anti-Bullying Bill (January 2012)</strong></a><br />
<br />
Previously, Gordon Klingenschmitt accused Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) of &ldquo;<a href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/klingenschmitt-likens-al-franken-kim-jong-il-accuses-him-homosexualizing-kids">homosexualizing kids</a>&rdquo; and <a href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/klingenschmitt-likens-al-franken-kim-jong-il-accuses-him-homosexualizing-kids">acting like late North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il</a> over his efforts to pass legislation geared at preventing bullying because Franken and other progressives have &ldquo;deified sin as their god.&rdquo; Now, Klingenschmitt is accusing Franken of &ldquo;causing more suicides&rdquo; for sponsoring the <a href="http://www.pfaw.org/issues/on-capitol-hill/factsheets/Protecting-the-Right-to-a-Quality Education-Standing-Together-for-Schools-that-Are-Safe-and-F">anti-bullying bill</a>. &ldquo;Teen suicide is tragic enough without Senator Franken recruiting more kids into homosexuality, which causes depression, self-hatred, self-rejection and self-murder,&rdquo; Klingenschmitt writes, &ldquo;Franken's plan will result in more teen suicides, not less.&rdquo;<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/harvey-warns-anti-bullying-programs-will-turn-schools-indoctrination-camps"><strong>4. Linda Harvey Warns That Anti-Bullying Programs Will Turn Schools Into &lsquo;Indoctrination Camps&rsquo; (November 2011)</strong></a><br />
<br />
Linda Harvey of Mission America urged voters to oppose the <a href="http://www.pfaw.org/issues/on-capitol-hill/factsheets/Protecting-the-Right-to-a-Quality Education-Standing-Together-for-Schools-that-Are-Safe-and-F">Safe Schools Improvement Act and the Student Non-Discrimination Act</a>, warning that such anti-bullying legislation was &ldquo;using bullying prevention as a tool to force approval of homosexuality and gender bending on children, teachers and families.&rdquo; On her <a href="http://www.home.wrfd.com/mp3s/Mission America/110311ForcedAcceptanceOfGayBehaviorByUncleSam.mp3">radio show</a>, Harvey urged members of her Ohio-based group to contact Senators Sherrod Brown and Rob Portman to oppose what she called the &ldquo;promotion of these lifestyles to kids brought into schools in the Trojan Horse of anti-bullying programs.&rdquo; She went on to say that schools will be turned &ldquo;into indoctrination camps&rdquo; in order &ldquo;to fulfill the fondest wishes of those who want traditional morality to disappear&rdquo; if the safe school legislation passes.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/public-advocate-congress-using-schools-force-homosexual-agenda-children"><strong>3. Public Advocate: Congress Using Schools &lsquo;To Force The Homosexual Agenda&rsquo; On Children (April 2011)</strong></a><br />
<br />
Religious Right groups <a href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/category/topics/bullying">consistently</a> try to tarnish <a href="http://www.pfaw.org/issues/on-capitol-hill/factsheets/Protecting-the-Right-to-a-Quality Education-Standing-Together-for-Schools-that-Are-Safe-and-F">anti-bullying initiatives</a> by labeling them as &ldquo;<a href="http://www.pfaw.org/rww-in-focus/big-bullies-how-the-religious-right-trying-to-make-schools-safe-for-bullies-and-dangero#myth">homosexual indoctrination</a>&rdquo; and &ldquo;<a href="http://www.pfaw.org/rww-in-focus/big-bullies-how-the-religious-right-trying-to-make-schools-safe-for-bullies-and-dangero#smear">special rights</a>,&rdquo; among other absurd claims. A Religious Right group called Public Advocate and led by Virginia politician Eugene Delgaudio launched the &ldquo;<a href="http://www.traditionalvalues.us/SNDApetition1.aspx?pid=w2">Protect Our Children&rsquo;s Innocence</a>&rdquo; petition to protest the <a href="http://www.pfaw.org/issues/on-capitol-hill/factsheets/Protecting-the-Right-to-a-Quality Education-Standing-Together-for-Schools-that-Are-Safe-and-F">Student Non-Discrimination Act</a>, which it labeled the &ldquo;Homosexual Classrooms Act.&rdquo;<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/klingenschmitt-student-non-discrimination-act-sexual-assault"><strong>2. Gordon Klingenschmitt Says &lsquo;Sick and Perverse&rsquo; Student Non-Discrimination Act Will Legalize &lsquo;Sexual Assault&rsquo; (April 2012)</strong></a><br />
<br />
After President Obama announced his <a href="http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2012/04/obama-supports-acts-to-target-school-bullying-and-discrimination-based-on-sexual-orientation-gender-identity.html">support</a> for the Student Non-Discrimination Act, Gordon Klingenschmitt went back on the <a href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/klingenschmitt-al-franken-causing-more-suicides-backing-anti-bullying-bill">attack</a> <a href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/klingenschmitt-likens-al-franken-kim-jong-il-accuses-him-homosexualizing-kids">against</a> the anti-bullying bill, warning in an email message that the &ldquo;sick and perverse&rdquo; legislation will &ldquo;give homosexuals and perverts protected status,&rdquo; &ldquo;mandate pro-homosexual recruiting of kids in public schools,&rdquo; promote &ldquo;child abuse&rdquo; as &ldquo;homosexuals will have full control of classrooms&rdquo; and even allow for harassment and &ldquo;sexual assault.&rdquo;<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/rios-schools-no-longer-teach-reading-and-writing-now-just-promote-homosexuality"><strong>1. Sandy Rios: Schools No Longer Teach Reading and Writing, Now Just Promote Homosexuality (April 2013)</strong></a><br />
<br />
The American Family Association&rsquo;s Sandy Rios hosted Linda Harvey of Mission America to criticize the Day of Silence, the anti-bullying event which Harvey has previously described as <a href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/harvey-day-silence-manipulating-kids-enter-lifestyle-which-itself-will-be-incredibly-harmful">dangerous</a> and <a href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/harvey-day-silence-promotes-abomination">blasphemous</a>.</p>
<p>Rios, who once said that <a href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/rios-grades-dropping-due-lgbt-inclusive-education-public-schools">test scores are dropping</a> as a result of schools &ldquo;teaching&rdquo; homosexuality, kicked off the program by arguing that public schools no longer instruct students in subjects like &ldquo;reading, writing, cursive, spelling, grammar [and] punctuation,&rdquo; but are instead completely dedicated to &ldquo;cramming, twisting, perverting all academic subjects to the way of supporting homosexuality.&rdquo;</p>
<p class="rtecenter">&nbsp;</p>
LaynebullyingC4Day of SilenceEquality For AllGLSENGordon Klingenschmitt LGBT youthLinda Harvey Safe schoolsSandy Rios 46460Fri, 11 Apr 2014 10:07:11 -0400LGBT youth